Festival marks 10 years of Experience! The Finger Lakes

Event Sunday at Ithaca Commons features sampling, demonstrations and more

For the past 10 years, Experience! The Finger Lakes has produced culinary tours and events in the Finger Lakes region featuring the top food and beverage producers in the area.

From noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Experience! will host a commemorative culinary festival at the Ithaca Commons, with VIP Culinary Experience presentations running from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Coltivare.

Attendees can purchase ticket packs of 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 tickets, with prices starting at $25 for a 10-pack. Each ticket is then redeemable for “tasting trios” from over 20 Finger Lakes artisan food and beverage producers.

“This is a really exciting event for our region,” said co-founder Laura Winter Falk. “Not only is everything delectable, but we also made sure to strategically pair artisan food producers next to specific beverage producers for fun ad hoc pairing opportunities.

“What’s even better is each producer will also be selling their featured products so you can bring the deliciousness home with you. This allows attendees to stock up while they are here, and avoid a separate trip up the lakes.”

For the super-foodies and those interested in a VIP experience, the festival’s VIP Culinary Experience (pricing starts at $50) features a selection of cooking or wine pairing demonstrations at the Coltivare Presentation Amphitheater to add to the festivities on the Commons. VIPs get the opportunity to choose one from a schedule of six culinary presentations that are 45 minutes long. These presentations all include tastings of the chef creations paired with selected FLX wines, cider or beer.